My grandmother was born Claretta Purcell in Thurles, Tipperary, Ireland. I recently have been researching the Purcell family tree because it was passed down through the family that the Purcells were related to French Royalty. A couple of miles away from Thurles is the ruins of Purcell castle in the village of Loughmore. I know that my grandmothers father Edward Purcell came from Loughmore, but he was very poor and certainly did'nt live in the castle.In fact in my research the last occupant of the castle was Sir Nicholas Purcell who died in 1722. I am unable to establish who Edward Purcells father was, but I presume he was related to Sir Nicholas Purcell.I did however discover that Sir Hugh Purcell came to England with William the Conqueror in 1066 as part of the Norman invasion. Sir Hugh Purcell was descended from French Royalty, his ancestor was Emperor Charlemagne, King of the Franks and his grandson also called Hugh went with Strongbow to Ireland by the invitation of the King of Lenister, who needed help fighting all the other Kings of Ireland (Tipperary is in Lenister).Anyone with any more information please let me know.Lisa Hawkins

One correction: The Purcells came to the British Isles "from" France, they were not French. They were Normans. They had come to France from Norway (vikings, northmen, norse, etc..) They established themselves in "Normandy" on the french coast and only lived in France for a few generations. The Normans (anglos) then invaded England and eventually took control of it. Ireland came next. Thus, Sir Hugh Purcell was neither French or English (saxon). It is said that Joan of Arc was a Purcell. This may or may not be--though I do believe that her surname was a French variation thereof. The Purcells, like most landed gentry who came with Stongbow, eventually intermarried and became "more Irish than the Irish," and most converted to Catholicism. This in turn placed them in poverty--as to be Catholic and poor in Ireland in those days were synonymous terms. Kevin